Alloy casting.



N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

E. GATES.

ALLOY CASTING. m

APPLIQATION ULL- D JAN. 13, 1903.

S SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 729,756. l PATBNTED JUNE 2,1903.

\ E. GATES.

ALLOY CASTING.

APPLIOATIDN FILED JAN. 13, 190.3.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNrTEn STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER GATESBOF CHEVY CIIASE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 THEODORE J. MAYER, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

VALLOY yCASTING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent 1\To. 729,756, dated June 2, 19.03. Application filed January 13,1903. Serial No. 138,816. (No model.)

To wil whom, t may concern:

lie it known that I, ELMER GATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chevy Chase, Montgomery count-y, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alloy Castings; and I do hereby declare theifollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description ol' the invention, snch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention comprises an alloy castingin which the component metals are combined in proportions that vary reciprocally and in a substantially constant or uniform manner, whereby the casting, as the ultimate product, exhibits in succession many diierent alloys or compositions of two or more metals, selected i'or the purpose, each alloy containing a l different percentage of the component metals.

In producing my improved'casting I cause the streams oli' the melted metals which constitute the components of the casting to tiow together and mix in quantities varying reciprocally at a substantially regular rateviz., as the percentage ol' one metal decreases that of the other increases by a like amountso that throughout the casting the relative proportions 'of the constituent metals vary with substantial regularityand in a predetermined manner.

In the accompanying drawings I haye illustrated in Figures l and 2 a iorm of apparatus adapted to the practice .of my invention, and Figs. 3 and 4 show two'typical forms oi my improved alloy casting as produced b v means of the apparatus aforesaid.

It is to be noted that whatever i'orm the asting may ultimately assume it ifalls within the scope ol.' m y invention and also within the terms oi' the claims hereunto annexed it' the castingv resulting from a complete cyclo" of operations in which the proportions of the component metals vary reciprocally displays a substantially uniform and reciprocal variation throughout.

Ireliminarily to a more detailed descrip tion it may be stated that in the practice of my invention I employ at a suitable height or elevation a tank or reservoir containing in separate compartments the metals from which the alloy bars or pigs are to be made,

each compartment being provided with an outlet ordiseharge opening. The metals flow from the tank or reservoir into a mixingchamber, wherein they become thoroughly' 55 commingled or combined,'and from said chamber they discharge into the castingmold, which will be of form suitable to pro duce a continuous alloy bar or will be adapted to produce a series of alloy pigs. case the relative proportions oi constituent metals vai-yin a predetermined manner from one section to another ol. the bar or from one pig to another of the series. ln the apparatus shown in Figs'. l and 2 A 65 represents a suitable supporting-base mounted on standards B, and C represents a supply tank or reservoir arranged at a convenientheight and mounted upon supports I),the

lower ends of which are secured to the base or 7o the mixing device, specifically referred to 8o hereinafter. ".lhe tank t) in the present instance is divided by a partition into two compartments e c', each compartment being provided with a discharge-opening g, formed in the detachable front wall 7L ot' the tank, 85

said openings discharging the metals directly from the bottom of the tank.

In some instances in the operation of my invention it is desirable that the flow of the metals through the outlets o be suddenly and 9o completely cut oft' at intervals, and for this purpose I provide i'or each ot' said outlets a vertically-operating gate Il, moving in vertical guides f, secured to the outer face oi' the front wall hof the tankby. means of screws 95 Z or their equivalent. The saidi gates are each provided with an ope ating-handle lm, and each gate provided with a vertical slot o, through which passes a screw p, which enters a threaded opening therefor in the wall Ioo h. The shanks of the said' screws are enlarged to overlap the edges of the vertical In either 6o The said bolts l) also serve to secure t my invention, vit is essential that the metals p pinion b2.

' shaft Q, which is provided at be mixed or combined in constantly and reciprocally varying percentages o r proportions as they leave the tank, and to attain this'end I provide means (operating during lthe disy charge of the metals from the outlets g) for' gradually closing one of said outlets and correspondingly openin g the other.. The mea'ns for effecting the gradual opening of one outlet and the simultaneous gradual closing of the other consists of 'a slide M, moving transversely across saidv outlets and formed with ports vw and w', which are vseparated by a small plate secured to the front of the tank by screws as shown, and serving'v as a stop for limiting the movement of the slide in either direction. The slide is guided by two angle-plates y y', also secured to the outer face of the wall h of the tank. 'lhe slide M can be operated in a variety of ways; but as a simple and eiective means therefor I secure to the outer face of the same at or near the end a toothed racka2, which is engaged by a toothed pinion b2, carried by a vertical shaft N, which near its vlower end turns in a sleeve or bearing N', formed'atthe lower end of a pendent arm or bracket O, which at 'its upper end is secured to the under side of the tank C. The upper part of the said vertical shaft turns' in bearings d2 d? above and below the At its lower end the vertical shaft N is provided with a beveled gear-wheel 1), which is engaged by a beveled pinion P', car ried at the i-nner end of a main operatingits outer end with an operating crank or handle Q'.

j shaft is supported in bearings R R, secured to the base or platform A, and it is evident that by turning the same in one direction or the other the slide M will be' moved accord-l ingly. The shaft Q also carries a large .pinionS, engaging a .toothed rack S for operating the movable bed-plate T or moldcarrier which carries the mold vin which the alloy bars or pigs are formed'. This feature of the apparatus will be morefully explained hereinafter.

The mixing device,hereinbefore referred to, consists, preferably, of one or more mixingcompartmentsF' F2 F3, which are in communication with each other and the lower end of which empties or discharges into the mold beneath. constructed in various ways; 'but preferably Iform the `upper compartmentF' substantially oval or elliptical in top plan and con .tracted or reduced in size at its lower end, forming al neck portion f2 substantially cir- "cular inshape and having a"passage g2,

- through vlwhich the mixed metals passinto Said Said mixing device may be.

the next lower compartment F2 below. The

is formed with a similar neck. f2, having a passage g3, and it is similarly provided with a perforated spreading plate or partition. The compartment F2 issecured to the neck f2 of the upper section by means of set-screws f8. The third and lowermost compartment F3 of the mixing device is precisely the same -in construction as the section F2, and it is secured to the latter by means of set-screws f3. It has a passage g4 discharging the metal into any suitable mold. The metals iiowing -into F' from the 'tank will pass successively into F2 and FB, as shownby the arrows, and in this way will become thoroughly mixed. Itwill be understood that the metals will pass through the outlet-passage g of the lower chamber F3 in substantially the same constantly-varying proportions in which they leave the outlet-openings g of the tank.

.The'movable bed-plate T, as hereinbefore mentioned, is provided with a toothed rack S', engaged by the pinion. S for moving the said bed-plate backV and forth beneath the outlet g4. Said bed-plate is provided with wheelsawhich travel on the rails w", secured to the base A, and'from the construction and arrangement shown it will be seen that when the shaft Q is. turned lthe bed-plate will be moved, as will alsol the slide M 'for varying the metal-discharge.

I may obtain'the castings'in the form of pigs, which may be united by relatively thin webs, as shown in Fig. 4, in which case I secure in place upon the bed-platev the mold V (shown in Figs. l and 2) and which is formed' with a series of 'cavities V', which receive the metal as the bed-plate is moved beneath'the mixer. To prevent the netals from flowing out at the ends of the mold beds or cavities V', I arrange along each side of the mold aV plate W, which is flanged at I/V' and secured to the bed-plate by screws eiectually close the ends of the mold-cavities in an obvious manner, and they'also hold the mold in place upon the bed-plates. The mold lies below the upper edges of plates IV XV. Hence it will be apparent that by substantially filling the space between the plate`s W W with molten ,metal a casting will be formel1 as a series of pigs or ingots united by relatively thin webs or fins, as in Fig. 4. I also provide in the top of the bed-plate adtlitional screw-holes 902302, arranged closer together than the screws x2, so .that the said reg IIO

Said plates plates can be readily brought closer together and secured in place Whenever it is desired to employ a narrower mold V than the one herein shown. Also secured to the bed-,plate some distance to one side of the mold is anadditional plate W2, which is in position to serve a similar purpose for very wide molds. y

In order to obtain the casting in the form of a single bar, I lay a flat metal strip upon' the movable bed-plate, which fits snugly between the two side plates W, (shown in'Fig.

2,) which side plates W extend above the lthe ends thereof.

upper surface of the strip. Also at each end of saidl strip a similar but shorter plate is employed to confine the metal on the stripY at In this way a continuous mold is formed ontop of the strip, into which the combined metals flow during the movement of the bed-plate beneath the outlet g4 of' the mixing` device, and the casting produced is of' the bar shape shown in Fig. 3.

Having described one form of apparatus adapted for the Vpractice of my invention, I

. properreceiving position beneath the outlet g4 of the mixing device F, so that the foremost cavity V' thereof shall receive the first or inii tial quantity of the combined metals, while as the bed-plate is moved forward by turning the crank 'O the remaining` mold-cavities will be successively filled in regular sequence. The proper rate of speed at which to move the bed-plate is determined bythe rapidity with which ,the metal flows through the mixer, and the rate of flow of the metalsA from the tank is of course governed partly bythe discharge capacity of the outlet g and partly by the ra te of' movement of the slide M. The mold being in place and the gates down, as explaineci'g` the slide M should be in position to close out` let w and open outlet vw. If at the time of starting the said slide M is not in the position indicated, then'it'should be so placed bythe.

operator, which can readily be done by hand after slightly lifting the shaft N to disengage the pinion b2. Everything being thus -in readiness, the gates H H are quickly raised and the shaft Q is started into motion. As soon as the gates are raised the fluid zinc begins to flow in a full stream; but the slide M having immediately started to move-across the outlets the said stream is gradually eut off or diminished in size. the outlet g forthe fluid copper is gradually opened, and thus this metal is caused to flow out in a stream of gradually-increasing size. In this way the two metals are caused fo flow into the mixin g device, respectively, in gradually diminishing and increasing proportions, and they also flow throughthe mixer and are 4deposited in the mold :cavities in substantially the same proportions from end to end of the mold. After the slide M has reached the limit of its movement in one direction the outlets y are cut off by the gates long enough to permit the emptying of the" pigs from the mold or until a new mold is placed in position upon theA bed-plate, whereupon the same operation can be repeated'reversely by merely turning the crank or handle Q in the opposite direction.- yA series of alloys thus cast in the form of pigs will have varyn ing proportions or percentages of the two metals, and each pig or alloy will have a different proportion from the others.

With the alloy bar produced by the modified mold, referred to above, the same variation in the proportions of the two metals is found to `exist from end to end of' the bar.

What I claim as my invention is l. An alloy casting, wherein the proportions of the component metals vary gradually and inversely from -end to end thereof, substantially as described.

` 2. An alloy casting, wherein the proportions of the component metals vary gradually "'nd inversely from end `to end thereof, said castingbeing subdivided into' a series of individual pigs or ingots, substantially as dcscribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature .me

in presence of two witnesses.

ELMICR GATES.

`\VitnesSes: l l'nwiN S. CLAnKsoN, JOHN C. PENNin.

At the same time 

